Low turnout rescues Romanian president
Source: Agencies |
July 31, 2012, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
ROMANIAN election officials declared late on Sunday that a referendum to impeach the nation's president on grounds that he overstepped his authority had failed because of low voter turnout.
The Central Election Bureau put the voter turnout in Sunday's referendum on President Traian Basescu at 45.92 percent, with a 3 percent margin of error. By law, such referendums are invalid if less than half the electorate cast ballots. The bureau did not immediately give the outcome of the vote, but two exit polls showed more than 80 percent favored impeaching Basescu.
"Romanians have invalidated the referendum by not voting," Basescu said on TV as he announced he had survived the vote.
But he acknowledged he had lost popular support, and pledged to work toward reconciliation in the nation of 19 million which threw off communism in 1989.
The political turmoil has dented Romania's credibility, with the United States and European Union expressing doubts about the left-leaning government's respect for the independence of the judiciary. Critics accuse the government leader, Prime Minister Victor Ponta, of orchestrating the effort to oust Basescu.
Basescu was accused by his rivals in the government of violating the constitution by overstepping his authority to interfere in the daily running of the country, and appointing loyalists to key judicial positions.
The Central Election Bureau put the voter turnout in Sunday's referendum on President Traian Basescu at 45.92 percent, with a 3 percent margin of error. By law, such referendums are invalid if less than half the electorate cast ballots. The bureau did not immediately give the outcome of the vote, but two exit polls showed more than 80 percent favored impeaching Basescu.
"Romanians have invalidated the referendum by not voting," Basescu said on TV as he announced he had survived the vote.
But he acknowledged he had lost popular support, and pledged to work toward reconciliation in the nation of 19 million which threw off communism in 1989.
The political turmoil has dented Romania's credibility, with the United States and European Union expressing doubts about the left-leaning government's respect for the independence of the judiciary. Critics accuse the government leader, Prime Minister Victor Ponta, of orchestrating the effort to oust Basescu.
Basescu was accused by his rivals in the government of violating the constitution by overstepping his authority to interfere in the daily running of the country, and appointing loyalists to key judicial positions.
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